How to Get a Smooth Finish With Latex Paint
- 1). Wash wood surfaces that you will be painting with a trisodium phosphate, or TSP, solution. TSP solutions are very strong cleaners that will cut through dirt and grease on surfaces that most cleaners will leave behind, which is especially important when cleaning exterior walls. Mix half a cup of TSP with a gallon of water and apply the solution with a brush or spray it on and scrub stains and dirt away.
- 2). Rinse the surface where TSP was used with plain water and let dry completely. TSP may discolor the paint if allowed to come into direct contact with it while wet.
- 3). Scrape off any pieces of loose or cracked paint on the surface with a putty knife. Any damage on the wall will show through latex paint.
- 4). Fill in any holes or dents in the wood with wood filler or spackle. Spread a layer of filler or spackle over the hole until it is completely filled in. Allow the fill to dry completely and sand down to level with the rest of the surface.
- 5). Prime the entire surface with latex primer. If you are painting over an already painted surface, it does not need to be primed. Spot prime only those areas that were filled in with wood filler or where bare wood is showing.
- 6). Add an additive to your latex paint to slow down the drying process. Additives for latex paint are available at hardware and home improvement stores. The longer the paint takes to dry, the smoother the paint job will be.
- 7). Paint the entire surface by adding several brushes full of paint to the surface at one time and then running the tip of the brush gently over the surface in a downward motion to blend and smooth the paint. Don't let the paint sit on the wall for more than a minute before smoothing it out.
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